The U.S. Institute of Peace's Director of Middle East Programs said that tens of thousands of Iraqis are already in custody.

By NTK Staff | 04.03.2018 @11:07am

Sarhang Hamasaeed, the Director of Middle East Programs at the U.S. Institute of Peace, said at a forum on Iraq’s future on Tuesday that Baghdad issued 90,000 arrest warrants for Iraqis suspected of ISIS involvement.

“One dilemma that the next Iraqi government will have to overcome is the legacy that ISIS is leaving behind within the community and those who are individuals and families who have been accused of either being members of ISIS or affiliation with ISIS,” he said.

Citing a conversation with a senior Iraqi official, Hamasaeed told the forum that the country currently has 90,000 arrest warrants for Iraqis involved with ISIS. “There are 36,000 people who are already arrested,” the Middle East expert added.

Hamasaeed clarified that not all of the people were necessarily ISIS fighters, but they could have provided political or financial aid.

The expert called for “local reconciliation” to deal with the trust deficit between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq.